Attorney General Bonta and Mayor Dyer host roundtable to combat hate
Now, state and local leaders are focused on solutions.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- State and local leaders are working to curb a rise in hate crimes across California.
The roundtable comes after Bonta released a new report in July that showed overall hate crimes increased by 20% in California from 2021 to 2022.
Those targeting Black residents rose by 27%, while hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation bias spiked by 29%.
"We have the data at the California Department of Justice, and they are increasing year after year across every category. That's the top line," said Bonta.
Fresno County is no stranger to hate crimes.
A total of 23 incidents were reported last year, including 13 in the City of Fresno.
Earlier this year, a popular Fresno restaurant joined the growing list.
Tasty Thai was forced to close after racist online rumors claimed the owners were serving dog meat.
"When I realized how bad it was, I knew we had to choose safety first. That's the reason we closed, and the reason why is because my parents are immigrants here. They moved here 40 years ago, and they don't even know what social media really is," said David Rasavong, owner of Tasty Thai.
The owners of Tasty Thai now have a new restaurant called Love and Thai in southeast Fresno and are looking forward to a fresh start.
Now, state and local leaders are focused on solutions.
They say that includes a stronger response to hate and bias and strengthening prosecution and enforcement.
"Unfortunately, when we talk about the issue of hate incidents and hate crimes, oftentimes under-reported to the degree that it's difficult for law enforcement to have a true measurement of the impact," said Dyer.
Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched the Racial Justice Bureau to advance the civil rights of Californians and plans to continue to meet with cities across the state to learn how to help them at the local level.
If you'd like to see hate crime data where you live, click here.
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